US-based HealthTap Now Accepting Insurance for Virtual Primary Care

The platform is now available in all 50 states and in-network with various insurers, including commercial plans and Medicare Advantage (MA).

US-based HealthTap, a virtual primary care provider, has announced that it will accept various health insurance plans. HealthTap provides on-demand clinical services through phone and video visits. With the portfolio expansion, the platform is now available in all 50 states and in-network with various insurers, including commercial plans and Medicare Advantage (MA).

Increasing Access to Virtual Care

HealthTap emphasizes long-term patient-physician relationships, allowing follow-ups via text message up to 90 days after an initial consultation. This model is designed to ensure continuity of care and address patients' ongoing health concerns.

Sharing insights, Sean Mehra, cofounder and CEO of HealthTap, said, “To truly achieve this mission of maximizing the number of consumers that can affordably access [our platform] requires such a practice to be maximally compatible with as many insurances as there are in the country.”

Using the HealthTap app, patients can schedule appointments with board-certified providers and maintain a consistent relationship with their primary care physician. This approach is particularly beneficial for seniors managing multiple chronic conditions, making the MA market a strategic focus for HealthTap.

Navigating a Challenging Market

The virtual care market has faced significant challenges, with major players including Optum and Walmart exiting telehealth. Despite these difficulties, Mehra stressed that HealthTap’s approach differs fundamentally from urgent care telehealth services.

“Our approach, not just from a business sense but from a commercial sense, is contrasted because it’s not urgent care. It is truly choosing to keep the same doctor over the long run. Secondly, it doesn’t have the geographic and cost constraints of operating brick-and-mortar practices,” Mehra noted.

HealthTap's business model avoids the high costs associated with physical offices, enabling it to provide cost-effective virtual care. The company's focus on maintaining consistent patient-doctor relationships sets it apart in the telehealth sector, where continuity of care is often lacking.

Positive Early Feedback

In a beta test conducted earlier this year, HealthTap reported that 95% of patients who visited a provider and used their insurance coverage rated their experience five out of five stars. This high satisfaction rate underscores HealthTap's model's potential to meet patient needs effectively.

The company's expansion to accept a wide range of insurance plans is a critical step in its mission to broaden access to affordable virtual primary care.

By being in-network with various insurers, including Medicare Advantage, HealthTap aims to make healthcare more accessible to diverse populations across the United States.